Hackers threaten to take Pokemon Go offline

Poodlecorp (yes, you read that right) has threatened to take the über popular augmented reality game Pokémon Go offline August 1 through a series of distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks on the game's already fragile servers.

"We take the servers offline because it is popular right now and nobody can stop us," @xotehpoodle (a member of the Poodlecorp group) said. "We do it because we can, nobody can stop us and we just like to cause chaos. We chose August 1 so we have time to relax and not care about doing anything."

The group plans to take the servers down for 20-plus hours — "basically an entire day" — using the same method they've used on other attacks Poodlecorp has laid claim to — a massive botnet consisting of 600,000 devices ranging from DVRs to dedicated servers.

Aside from the attack that caused server issues for the game last Saturday, Poodlecorp has also claimed responsibility for hacking various YouTubers and the League of Legends servers using the botnet — a tool xotehpoodle claims is worth more than Niantic Labs, the developers behind Pokémon Go.

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Nintendo Co.'s Pokemon Go is displayed on a smartphone in Tokyo, Japan, on Tuesday, July 12, 2016. Pokemon Go debuted last week on iPhones and Android devices in the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand, letting players track down virtual characters in real locations using their smartphones. Nintendo is an investor in Niantic Inc., the games developer. Photographer: Akio Kon/Bloomberg via Getty Images

NEW YORK, NY - JULY 11: Medical student Jag Chilana plays Pokemon Go on his smartphone at Union Square, July 11, 2016 in New York City. The success of Nintendo's new smartphone game, Pokemon Go, has sent shares of Nintendo soaring. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

David Melendez (C) uses three phones as he plays the augmented reality mobile game "Pokemon Go" by Nintendo in New York City, U.S. July 11, 2016. REUTERS/Mark Kauzlarich

Theodore Belizaire plays the augmented reality mobile game "Pokemon Go" by Nintendo in Times Square, New York City, U.S. July 11, 2016. REUTERS/Mark Kauzlarich

Jerimie Nason (C) plays the augmented reality mobile game "Pokemon Go" by Nintendo as people pass him on the street outside Grand Central Terminal in New York City, U.S. July 11, 2016. REUTERS/Mark Kauzlarich

A virtual map of Bryant Park is displayed on the screen as a man plays the augmented reality mobile game "Pokemon Go" by Nintendo in New York City, U.S. July 11, 2016. REUTERS/Mark Kauzlarich

Theodore Belizaire plays the augmented reality mobile game "Pokemon Go" by Nintendo in Times Square, New York City, U.S. July 11, 2016. REUTERS/Mark Kauzlarich

The augmented reality mobile game "Pokemon Go" by Nintendo is shown on a smartphone screen in this photo illustration taken in Palm Springs, California U.S. July 11, 2016. REUTERS/Sam Mircovich/Illustration

Leo Mesquita (R) and Jean Suplicy (2nd R) play the augmented reality mobile game "Pokemon Go" by Nintendo as they walk away from the Chrysler Building in New York City, U.S. July 11, 2016. REUTERS/Mark Kauzlarich

Theodore Belizaire pumps his fist after catching a Pokemon in the augmented reality mobile game "Pokemon Go" by Nintendo in Times Square, New York City, U.S. July 11, 2016. REUTERS/Mark Kauzlarich

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Poodlecorp, of course, isn't the first group of hackers that have made big claims and then failed to follow through, but xotehpoodle warns that this time it's different, "because we made a promise."

Why they'd want to take down servers for a game that has brought joy to millions around the world is beyond me, but in the digital world, I guess "because we can" is a good enough reason.